Chesterfield Police tackle designer drug

CHESTERFIELD, VA (WWBT) – There is a new designer drug being used and abused in Chesterfield. Now authorities are fighting back, after handling more than seven overdoses. They've created a new forum to educate parents about the hallucinogenic 25i, which NBC12 first told you about last month.

Next week's seminar is for parents, grandparents and anyone concerned about a teen trying this new drug. It's for adults only. There'll be some candid conversation.

It's a nightmare more and more parents are facing. One woman described her daughter's experience only to NBC12. She came home to find the teen overdosing on 25i last weekend.

"There was ambulance and police there and my daughter was in a psychotic state strapped down in an ambulance and was making absolutely no sense," she explained.

Those ambulance crews hadn't encountered the violent symptoms of highs on this new hallucinogenic until a few weeks ago.

"Hallucinating, being very combative with anybody: crews, police, even their parents, just being very combative," Manchester Volunteer Rescue Squad EMT David Bulman described. "They feel like they're invincible."

According to School Resource Officer Sgt. Bob Kemper, the drug is catching on.

"It's something new that's out there," he said. "They go to these different parties and it gets passed around. Students are bringing it to school and passing it around to some of their friends and that's how it's getting spread in the schools."

So Chesterfield Police officers are teaming with the Manchester Volunteer Rescue Squad and other experts for a community drug awareness night. There, parents can learn about the recent increased use of these new drugs, symptoms, side effects and dangers.

"It's changing every day," Bulman noted. "There's new drugs that are coming out. There's new ways people do different drugs and to have this program, we'll be able to go out and educate the public and be proactive on it."

They'll discuss the criminal and school repercussions of the new synthetic drug, along with what EMS crews said are the scariest factors including the varying reactions and dire consequences.

Again, because of the material covered next week only adults are allowed at the event. It is free to attend.

The forum is Sunday March 18th at seven o'clock. It is being held at the Winfree Memorial Baptist Church on Midlothian Turnpike.

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